In 2025, we were pleased to welcome Suneel Mistry, a CUSO International Volunteer Communications Specialist, to support the work of the Protected Areas Trust (PAT). During his placement, Suneel made a meaningful and lasting contribution to strengthening our communications, brand identity, and public engagement. 

Throughout his time with us, Suneel helped advance our mission to promote and protect Guyana’s natural heritage by ensuring our stories were told clearly, strategically, and creatively. 

Enhancing Our Visibility and Public Awareness

One of Suneel’s major achievements was the development of a PAT’s first Communication Strategy and Brand Guidelines. These strategic documents allowed PAT to expand its ability to tell stories and relay the impacts grants have in our protected areas while simultaneously increasing the public’s awareness of PAT. A significant milestone of Suneel’s time was the execution of the “Beyond the Shells” Shell Beach Awareness Campaign, which expanded public understanding of Shell Beach’s ecological importance and highlighted the broader conservation efforts supported by PAT. Through thoughtful messaging and digital engagement, the campaign helped broaden national awareness of protected areas and their value.

He also supported the launch of PAT’s Facebook page, production of videos, digital content, and event coverage that made PAT’s work more accessible to wider audiences. Over time, this contributed to growing public recognition of the organization. 

“At the first few events, people would say, ‘I’ve never really heard of PAT.’ By the end, people were coming up saying, ‘I’ve seen your videos. I know the organization.'”

This shift reflected the expanding reach and impact of PAT’s communications platforms.  

Beyond content creation, Suneel worked to enhance our overall brand image and internal communication systems. He developed a suite of branded templates and a comprehensive brand kit, bringing greater consistency, professionalism, and clarity to our public-facing materials. 

These tools have strengthened our ability to communicate effectively with partners, donors, stakeholders, and the wider public, while ensuring a cohesive and recognizable identity across platforms. 

Expanding Our Engagement in the Environmental Space 

Throughout his placement, Suneel represented PAT at numerous public engagements and environmental events, helping to strengthen our relationships within the conservation community. 

Notably, he represented PAT at the 27th hosting of the RedLAC Congress in Chile, where he launched a toolkit on artificial intelligence for conservation NGOs. His participation positioned our organization within regional conversations on innovation and the future of environmental management. 

A Lasting Impact 

Over the course of his service, Suneel helped expand our audience reach, strengthen our communications capacity, enhance our brand identity, and deepen our engagement within the environmental sector. 

“Being able to make a difference, even in small ways, is what I’m most proud of.” 

As his placement concludes, we extend our sincere appreciation to Suneel for his professionalism, creativity, and dedication. His contribution has strengthened our foundation and will continue to support our work in advancing conservation across Guyana. We also extend thanks to the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund and by extension CUSO International and Caribbean Organizations for a Resilient Environment (CORE) Project teams for facilitating Suneel’s placement in Guyana.